Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has said the decision about new runways in London airports will be made tomorrow.
In an interview on the Andrew Marr show he said that the long-anticipated decision over whether Heathrow or Gatwick will get another runway is imminent. Grayling was asked by Marr “Have you taken the decision about which airport it is going to be?”
To which he replied: “No we haven’t, that decision will be taken this week. It is going to be a decision taken tomorrow and it is a difficult one because all three of these are well-crafted proposals and any one of them could bring benefit to the UK.”
The proposals include a new runway to the north west of Heathrow Airport, an extension of Heathrow’s existing northern runway or a new runway to the south of Gatwick Airport.
Andrew Marr reminded the transport secretary: “If you go for Heathrow you are going to have big party management problems. Boris Johnson has said he is going to lie down in front of the bulldozers.”
“There will be challenges and opposition whatever decision we take. The important thing here is that we have to take a decision that is in the interest of our nation.  What delivers us the best connectivity, the right approach for the future at a time when we want to grow international trade links.”
The prime minister was last week accused of “dither and delay” over the decision.
Sir John Armitt, who sat on the £20mn Airports Commission which in July last year and recommended Heathrow expansion, said: “It’s another delay and I’m not quite sure why it takes another year for that debate to take place.
“There has been a lot of consultation. MPs are well up to speed on the situation. I hope that debate takes place in less than a year’s time.”
Sadiq Khan added that the timetable meant “unnecessary uncertainty” for investors.